Miami Hurricanes OG Anez Cooper: Practice vs. DL is preparing us because they should be as good as anything we’ll see

For Miami Hurricanes RG Anez Cooper , his third year at Miami has the potential to be the unit’s best considering there are top level returning starters Jalen Rivers and Francis Mauigoa joining him, plus multi-year Indiana starter Zach Carpenter is on board at center.

The fifth starting spot is likely to go to either Matthew McCoy or Samson Okunlola at LG. And there’s depth with guys like OT Markel Bell and C/OG Ryan Rodriguez stepping up.

“I feel like everything is really going well,” Cooper said. “We’re building more and more culture, better relationships with each other every day we’re going though camp. Everything is coming together, we’re working hard, learning each other. We don’t just learn our position, we learn what everybody is doing.”

This fall has been all about getting the OL … and the entire team … better. From a trenches perspective, Cooper says having a really talented D line bolstered by transfer arrivals has helped in that endeavor.

“We have a very deep defensive tackle (group),” Cooper said. “I go to the huddle and come back and it’s a whole new set of defensive linemen. We have a very good group – CJ Clark, Simeon Barrow, Tyler Baron (who plays end and tackle), all those guys can come in and make our group way better because we already had (returners Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain who are at end and tackle), and Marley Cook.

“Us going against those guys there shouldn’t be anybody with different ability than what they already have. We make each other better.”

As for Cooper’s background? He came in and started four games as a freshman in 2022, then enjoyed a solid 2023 season as the full-time starting right guard, garnering All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. He didn’t allow any sacks, allowed 12 QB hurries and three hits on the QB per Pro Football Focus (in 878 reps he graded out at 65.9 percent overall with a solid 78.4 pass blocking grade and 63.1 run block grade). He helped the offense go from averaging 3.7 yards per carry in 2022 to 5.1, and the sacks allowed decreased from 36 to 16.

Cooper has dropped over 30 pounds since arriving at Miami, to around 330, helping his mobility.

He and his linemates are now charged with protecting Cam Ward and opening holes for the run game.

“We have a great running backs room,” Cooper said. “The running backs room is very deep, we should be able to play all those guys. … there shouldn’t be anybody stopping us in the run game.”

Cooper also said of starter Damien Martinez that “he’s a great back. He’s very agile, runs fast. He came in, kind of knew how the offense was, offensive line was. He has balance, he’s fast, he’s big. He believes in us, we believe in him.”

A final thought from Cooper?

With scrimmage No. 2 coming up tomorrow, he says the first scrimmage last weekend “was very good for both sides. We can be a very good offense if we connect with each other. All practice we and the defense go back and forth – both sides have very good talent. I feel all the talent we have on both sides, we shouldn’t see another team with the same amount of talent. I feel like we’re going against the best guys.”

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